Meeting with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China

The Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova welcomed His Excellency Yan Wenbin, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, to the Community Centre on July 12.

It was an opportunity to introduce the ambassador to the Community and raise a number of issues that are important for both parties.

In the meeting, Mr Alexander Bilinkis, the President of the Jewish Community, spoke of the Jewish Community’s history, culture and present activities, as well as priorities for the future.

Mr Bilinkis introduced the Chinese mission to the organisational structure of the Community and drew attention to the role and contribution of the Board of Trustees in the Community’s life. A focus of the discussion was also the economic development of Moldova.

Ambassador Wenbin and President Bilinkis agreed to enrich and develop the cooperation and relationship between the Chinese diplomatic mission and the organisation in the future.

It is important to note that China is home to around 2,500 Jews that have deep historical roots in the region. The first Jewish settlers arrived through the Silk Road during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), establishing a community in the city of Kaifeng, in an Eastern region of the country.

With the rise in global trade in the nineteenth century, Shanghai took over as the centre of Jewish life in China. Approximately 700 descendants of Iraqi Jews settled in the city in the mid-1800s and several thousand Jews from Russia moved to Shanghai following the October 1917 Revolution. The latter group built three synagogues and published Jewish periodicals – including a Hebrew newspaper.

During the rise of antisemitism in Europe and the Holocaust, approximately 17,000 Jews found refuge in Shanghai. Though many suffered with the invasion of the Nazi Germany-allied Japan and were forced to live in internment camps. After the war, most Chinese Jews left for the United States, Israel and Europe.